The Democrats Will Move On

[a new day]

There's been a lot of talk about how heartland voters were repulsed by the gay-marriage-lovin' urban sensibilities of regions such as the Bay Area, and how our cosmopolitan morals carried the day for Karl Rove. No city better embodies this vilification than Berkeley, of course. But don't kid yourselves: Berkeley did more for John Kerry than any other city in the country. That is, two of its residents did: Wes Boyd and Joan Blades, the founders of MoveOn.org.

<snip>

If this sounds like the mushy latte politics of suburban liberalism, that's because it is -- and it's actually one of MoveOn's greatest assets. The Democrats can't afford to ignore blue-collar America, or annoy it with the obvious lifestyle gulf between its leadership and its historic base. But MoveOn can, because it's a separate, more specific organizing tool. For years, right-wing leaders have steadily built satellite organizations such as the Christian Coalition or the National Rifle Association, groups that can focus all their energy on specific demographic groups without an obligation to appeal to the entire country. But until MoveOn came along, no one had built an organization that catered specifically to suburban, college-educated liberals. The most powerful demographic group in the country finally has a voice.


http://www.eastbayexpress.com/issues/2004-11-17/news/cityofwarts.html

[Maat]

1. Thanks for the link.

I enjoyed the article. I love what Wes and Joan have done. And they remind me of my husband and I (he's an computer/internet-company guy too).

[a new day]

2. I think they are surprised by their succes, too

But, I am a big fan of MoveOn.org. We've held house parties, contributed, GOTV for them.

A great organization.

[Maat]

3. May they move on to other great causes (pun intended)!

[4_Legs_Good]

4. Great points in this piece! I'm glad to have MoveOn on our side!

[missouri dem]

5. Move On house parties this Sunday

Dear MoveOn member,
In the years to come, our secret weapon is the creativity of millions of MoveOn members like you. This Sunday, join us for our most important round of house parties yet, on the Future of MoveOn. We'll discuss the election, celebrate our incredible accomplishments this year, then you'll help determine our direction going forward.

We're always amazed by what's unleashed when people think together. We have some good ideas of our own, but we fully expect some of the best ideas for the next few years will come from Sunday's house parties. We hope you'll be there to set our priorities and contribute new ideas. If you can host a house party, please do -- we'll guide you through every step of the process.

Can you attend a Future of MoveOn house party? Sign up now at:

http://action.moveonpac.org/future/

If there isn't a house party in your area, you can help this effort by signing up to host one at:

http://action.moveonpac.org/future/newmeeting.html

Many of you have written to tell us you're ready to work for lasting change in our country. Here are just two notes we've received:


We need to maintain our courage. In numbers, it's much easier. All of us must continue to speak up and speak out... It's not over. We'll have a thousand battles to fight until the next election. Can we do this together?
--Linda, Rogue River, OR
My wife and I saw the power of concerned citizens... We do this for the sake of our son, our fellow Americans and also the world... Negativism has no place in our minds and hearts if we are going to win. And we will.
--Robert, New York, NY

In the spirit of MoveOn, the house parties will take place in your neighborhood, but we'll join together on a special online conference call. Adam Ruben, other MoveOn staff, and I will report back to you on the work we've done together this year. Then we'll ask you to evaluate our options for the future. With our unique online tool, you'll be able to share your conclusions, and see what other parties think, in real time.

Your friends are welcome to join us for this discussion, even if they haven't been involved in MoveOn before. We'll need every interested person for the next years' efforts. I hope you'll bring your experience and intuition to this Sunday's house parties.

Sign up now at:

http://action.moveonpac.org/future/

No matter what we pursue, our core strategy will always be to depend on the smarts and hard work of real people. What we've accomplished together is historic. On Sunday, we'll start writing the next chapter.

Sincerely,

--Adam, Eli, Hannah, James, Laura, and the whole MoveOn PAC Team
November 17th, 2004

P.S. If you can't make it on Sunday, we have a neat way for you to contribute to the conversation. Our member-moderated discussed forum, the ActionForum, gives you a chance to share your thoughts, read the viewpoints of others, and help us find the best new ideas.

What do you think is the most important goal for MoveOn to pursue in the next four years? Tell us now at:

http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=266

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee